Nearly 1,000 attorneys, judges and friends of the King County Bar Foundation attended the seventh annual Breakfast With Champions on April 3 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle. More than $300,000 was raised in support of the Foundation's pro bono and diversity programs.
Master of Ceremonies Peter Ehrlichman guided the one-hour event through a fast-paced program of awards, recognitions and an inspiring keynote address by Bob Edwards. Foundation President Charles Burdell and King County Bar Association President John Ruhl welcomed and thanked guests for attending the Foundation's major fundraising event of the year. Guests also heard remarks from Karen Mathis, the current American Bar Association President, who was in town for the ABA Youth At Risk Summit CLE.
Edwards, National Public Radio's Morning Edition host for 25 years and current host of XM Satellite Radio's flagship program, The Bob Edwards Show, delivered the keynote address. Edwards' words inspired the audience with a renewed passion for pro bono service by describing the remarkable career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, considered by many to be the grandfather of pro bono. Edwards strongly encouraged Breakfast guests to get involved in civil legal aid service by volunteering their time and by donating to the Foundation.
This year's program included a special highlight of the Foundation's Minority Law Student Scholarship Program. Every year, the Foundation grants funds to the University of Washington and Seattle University law schools to assist both law schools with attracting outstanding students of color. Last year, the Foundation awarded $125,000 for this purpose.
At the Breakfast, Dean W.H. "Joe" Knight, Jr. of the U.W. School of Law and second-year law student Lena Madden of S.U. illustrated the impact that these scholarships make in the local legal community. More than 400 students have benefited from the Foundation's scholarship program and more than 50% of these students practice in the King County area.
Breakfast guests, encouraged by the words of Foundation Trustees Megan Wells and Paul Mutty, made contributions in support of the Foundation's pro bono legal services and diversity programs. Last year, every dollar received by the Foundation resulted in $8.30 in legal services or helped leverage an education for a minority law school student.
The Champion of Justice and the Champion of Diversity awards were presented to Fredric C. Tausend by the Honorable Ronald C. Cox. Tausend was honored for his leadership in diversity and justice initiatives in the King County legal community, including spearheading the development of the Future of the Law Institute and advocating for hiring, advancement and retention of minority lawyers in the local law firms. Tausend was a Foundation trustee for seven years and served as its president from 2004-05.
The King County Bar Foundation thanks its sponsors, table captains, trustees, guests, staff and volunteers for making the 2007 Breakfast With Champions such a successful event. For more information about the Foundation and the programs it funds, visit www.kcbf.org or contact the Foundation at 206-267-7007.
